Round 2 To Phantoms

Crabbers Give Up Lead Twice In Loss

HAMPTON — Say what you want about this year's Phoebus football team, but don't say the Phantoms can't come from behind, can't handle adversity and can't win a close game.

In a thrill-a-thon rarely rivaled -- until the teams meet next year, probably -- Phoebus erased two Hampton deficits to defeat the Crabbers 24-20 Friday night in the Eastern Region Division 5 semifinals.

The Phantoms (10-1) extended their playoff win streak to nine games and will play Indian River for the region title Friday at 7:30 p.m. at a site to be determined. Indian River defeated Lake Taylor 28-0.

"I've never been prouder of any group of kids than I am of these guys tonight," coach Bill Dee said. "What kind of character did they show?"

A lot. Especially Elan Lewis.

Lewis rushed a season-high 43 times for 190 yards and three touchdowns, including the winner from a yard out on fourth down with 6 minutes, 35 seconds remaining.

Two Lewis carries of 4 yards apiece gave Phoebus third-and-goal from the 1. Arron Ward was stopped, setting up fourth down. After getting the handoff, Lewis momentarily lost his balance.

"They never had me," he said. "I was going down, but I saw the opening on the outside, so I put my hand down and was able to get (my balance)."

Lewis went in for his 37th touchdown of the season. He has 2,372 rushing yards.

"We had him a couple times, and he just slipped out of our hands," Hampton acting coach Danny Mitchell said.

Mitchell and Alvis Mann handled the Hampton sideline in place of Mike Smith, who was hospitalized on Sunday and underwent gall-bladder surgery on Wednesday. The game -- the first Smith has missed while the Crabbers' coach -- was to be his 400th.

"It was a tough week," Mitchell said, "but we were ready to play football."

It showed early. Andre Shuler intercepted a Ward pass and returned it 75 yards for a 6-0 Hampton lead. Phoebus answered with drives of 14 plays for 47 yards and 12 plays for 60 yards to take a 14-6 lead on Lewis touchdown runs of 1 and 13 yards. At that point, Phoebus had outgained Hampton 134-0.

The Crabbers answered on the ensuing drive. On third-and-30 from the Phoebus 39, Mike Roberts hit Todd Nolen for 38 yards. Shuler's 1-yard run and Derrick Fairley's 2-point conversion tied the game.

In the second half, Phoebus led 17-14 on Chris Swartz's 39-yard field goal, and Hampton answered with a 23-yard Roberts-to-Nolen touchdown with 2: 56 left in the third.

From there, Phoebus' defense buckled down. In the fourth quarter, Hampton ran only six plays and had one first down.

"We handled everything in the middle against the run, and our secondary was able to hold it down at the end," linebacker Travis Quidera said.